It's Hari Raya!! As usual we started the day with breakfast (sunat i.e. encourage by Islam on 1st syawal n u score points for doing that).
The menu:
Nasi ayam (left over from yesterday's dinner) - waste is frown upon k...
Nasi impit
Ketupat
Beef curry
Chicken rendang
Various cookies n cakes
After breakfast, we all rushed to masjid (mosque) for aidil fitri prayer (sunat); I missed the prayer as the masjid was jam packed with ppl :-(
After prayer, we gathered at the house for our customary 'seeking forgiveness' (bermaafan) family tradition. My parents sat on the sofa, next to them my eldest sis n all the elders (sisters/brothers n spouses). Then my eldest sis started the ritual by 'salam' (holding each parent right hand by both hands n kiss the hand) followed with hugging n kissing each parent's cheek (about 3 times). Once she was done, she took her seat next to my parents. Then the 2nd oldest follow the same ritual - started with my mom, then my dad then my eldest sis, n so on n so forth until the youngest of the lot (my youngest nephew) ended the ritual. After that, free for all where cousins did the same with each other.
Normally after this ritual we'll take family photo but this year, for some weird reason, everyone was in a rush to do something (coupled with neighbours' kids at the doors making their rounds for duit raya) - so no raya photo this year :-(
Ha ha this year we skipped the speeches too. Few years back someone iniated or tried to incorporate 'speeches' into the 'ritual', so after the salam ceremony, we listened to speeches (from a rep n whoever has something to say) then photo session. Phew!!!
After the ceremony, we lounged about (eating n chatting n watching tv). Main course for this year - mihun sup utara.
On-off there'll be kids shouting "assalamualaikum kami datang nak raya' at the door, but always declined whenever you asked them to come in and partake the raya goodies on offer. Their only interest - duit raya!!
Of course before the day ended, neighbours, relatives n friends came for visit n helped us finished off the big pot (or giant pot) of soup.
I stayed at home while the others (most of them) went out visiting neighbours' houses n sampling their raya goodies.
Night time - more eating n chatting n tv viewing; but early nite for most of us......
Next day? Customary visit to my aunt's house in Alor Star (need 4 cars to ferry everyone there); followed by visit to my uncle's house in Bdr Darulaman n last house was my sis-in-law's parents' house in Tunjang before we made our way back to kampung. Reached home abt 9pm.
Thank God for my sis's earlier planning, we didn't have to cook for dinner as she n her team had prepared dinner before we left the house - spaghetti bolognese.
So, we just showered, had dinner, more eating (for some ppl), more chatting n tv viewing n early nite for some of us.
3rd day raya - time to leave kampung...some of the kids cried n showed tantrum because they were sad to leave or be separated from their cousins/playmates...well till next year.....insyaallah.
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